Rate My Professor Melanie Beres

Professor Melanie Beres is a Professor in Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology, School of Social Sciences, Division of Humanities at the University of Otago. She earned a BSc and PhD from the University of Alberta and an MSc from the University of Guelph. Beres was promoted to Professor in late 2025 and delivered her Inaugural Professorial Lecture, 'The Social Life of Consent,' in March 2026. She currently serves as Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Humanities and was the founding Academic Director of Te Whare Tāwharau, the University of Otago's sexual violence support and prevention centre. Her teaching includes coordinating SOCI 205 (Social Inequality), SOCI 301 (Mixed Methods), and GEND 311 (Interventions in Sexual Violence). She supervises postgraduate students on topics such as sexual violence prevention, consent, and sexualities.

An internationally recognised scholar, Beres specialises in sexual violence prevention, with core interests in the meaning and communication of sexual consent, social norms shaping intimate relationships, constructions of sexuality including queer sexualities, and strategies for preventing sexual violence. She uses qualitative and quantitative methods in her work. Beres leads applied research on whole-campus models integrating policy, education, and support services to prevent sexual violence. She heads a Community of Practice with Dunedin high schools to co-design prevention strategies, advises Vine (Violence Information Aotearoa), and partners with the Ministry of Social Development and Accident Compensation Corporation on evidence-based national violence prevention approaches. Key publications include 'Seeking support: The voice of young men who have experienced sexual harm during their life course' with Patterson et al. (Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2026), 'A comparative account of institutional approaches to addressing campus-based sexual violence in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand' with McCall et al. (Violence Against Women, 2024), and 'Male survivors of sexual violence and abuse (SVA): Barriers and facilitators to reporting and accessing services' with Dixon et al. (Ministry of Social Development, 2023). Her research bridges academia and practice, influencing policy and education on ethical relationships.